Al-Shaʿbī for his part would transmit ḥadīths in paraphrase, whereas al-Qāsim, Ibn Sīrīn, and Rajāʾ ibn Ḥaywah were careful to preserve every word exactly as they had received it.

Khārijah ibn Muṣʿab, reporting from Ibn ʿAwn, from Muḥammad, said: “I have never seen any of the black-haired—meaning the ordinary people—more learned in jurisprudence than the people of Kūfa, though they are somewhat quick-tempered.”

Muḥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī said: “Ibn Sīrīn was a jurist, a scholar, scrupulously God-fearing, refined in manners, prolific in ḥadīth, and utterly truthful. The scholars and men of virtue have borne witness to this; he is an authoritative proof.”

Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated from Ayyūb that Muḥammad (Ibn Sīrīn) said, “This knowledge is part of the religion, so look carefully from whom you take your religion.” (1)

Al-Faḍl ibn Muḥammad al-Shaʿrānī related: ʿAmr ibn ʿAwn told us, Hushaym told us, Manṣūr ibn Zādhān told us, from Ibn Sīrīn, who said: “Abū Qatādah once lodged with us. While he was on our roof—there were 10 of us, all children of Sīrīn—a star shot across the sky. We followed it with our eyes, whereupon Abū Qatādah forbade us to do that.”

Shuʿayb ibn al-Ḥabḥāb said: “I asked Ibn Sīrīn, ‘What is your view on listening to the people of heretical desires?’ He replied, ‘We do not listen to them—none whatsoever.’ ”

Al-Ḥākim reported: ʿUmar ibn Jaʿfar al-Baṣrī told us, al-Ḥasan ibn Ṣāliḥ al-Ahwāzī at Baṣra told us, Sulaymān al-Shādhakūnī told us, Ibn ʿUlayyah told us, from Ibn ʿAwn, from Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn:

“A man would narrate something to him and he would not turn toward him, saying, ‘I am not accusing you, nor the person from whom you heard it; but I do suspect the one between the two of you.’ ”

Sulaymān added, “The lie attaches to the one who fabricated the ḥadīth against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.”